1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in hand-held dolls or plush animals, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved combination of an animated doll or plush animal with recorded video program playback equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art The animation of small hand-held dolls or plush animals has become a well-known implementation of electronic control and model animation technology. The resultant products offer a child lifelike companions in the form of talking dolls or teddy bears for example. Such products generally rely on one of two common methods to produce the sounds or spoken phrases. They utilize electronic voice syntheses or they reproduce the voice by means of an internal audiocassette player. The animation of these figures is controlled either by a resident microprocessor or discrete electronics located inside the animated figure. Or, the animation is controlled by control tones or data located on the audiotape.
The focusing of this animator technology on electronically controlled dolls, plush animals, robots and other "child oriented" products is resulting in a variety of such products which are finding.considerable acceptance in the marketplace.
The object of these talking and gesturing animated figures is to entertain and instruct young children. The technique is storytelling by means of single word, or sentence long responses triggered by inputs, such as the absence of a child's voice, by push buttons, by position sensitive sensors located inside the animated figure, or by switches, and the like.
The present invention is a step forward that results in a difference of kind rather than degree. The present invention takes advantage of the nearly universal access to videocassette recorders and players by the general public. These devices are presently underutilized in the home merely as entertainment centers. The present invention comprises a combination of animated figures and videotaped programs containing both the sound and control signals required to drive the animated figure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a combination of a video based source of entertainment and education with one or more animated figures, wherein the video source provides both the control for gestures of the animated figures and supplies the verbal expression for the animated figures.
Another object of the present invention is to extend the action taking place on the screen of the television set into the viewing room by creating a setting in which the child, animated figure and the characters on the screen interact in verbal and gestural interchanges controlled by the story line of the video presentation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for utilizing ordinary videocassette or videodisc players and allowing the conversion of existing videocassette program material into a format utilizable by the system of the present invention.
It is yet another object of the present invention to extend this interaction between the child, the animated figure and the characters on the television screen by providing for hands-on interaction between the child, the animated figure and the action on the screen.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a system that allows the child to become a participant in the action between the animated figure and the characters on the screen by directing the story line or action through an input device.
According to the present invention, the foregoing objects and the general purpose of the invention are obtained as set forth in the summary of the invention.